Everyone thinks they know Van Gogh. His paintings are iconic, and his life story is almost too familiar to be truly resonant. For the landmark exhibition Van Gogh’s Bedrooms, our second project with the Art Institute of Chicago, we challenged visitors to go deeper by uncovering a more authentic, human side of Van Gogh’s life and work.

Our animators, designers, and developers created digital experiences that immerse visitors in Van Gogh’s world–both physical and emotional. A three-part, animated projection onto a 3D, life-sized recreation of the bedroom evokes Van Gogh’s state of mind using quotes and sketches from his letters and journals.

The exhibition features all three versions of the seminal Bedroom paintings together for the first time in North America. 

Using our interactive touchscreen, visitors can pinch, zoom, explore, and compare the three paintings freely or be guided by points of interest from the conservator’s work. They can use x-ray vision to see the differences in style, texture, and technique that reveal the hidden methods of Van Gogh’s creative process.

By design, these immersive digital experiences help tell Van Gogh’s story in very new ways, revealing the dreams and emotions of an accomplished artist and providing visitors with the power to investigate the Bedrooms like a curator or conservator.

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RESULTS

• FWA– Site of the Day
• One Show – Responsive Environments, Finalist
• ADDY Awards – Silver: Innovative Use of Technology

The pièces de résistance of this exhibition are the up-to-the-minute electronic programs, where past practices enter the world of tomorrow. A large wall divided into three vertical columns projects the same details from the three bedroom paintings side-by-side. It’s mesmerizing.

-ArtNews